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Lithuania proposes not to accept Russians, Belarusians and Chinese into the army
According to the bill proposed by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic, Russian citizens will be dismissed from the Lithuanian army. At the same time, the authorities want to increase the number of soldiers.
Lithuanians who hold dual citizenship in Russia, Belarus and China will not be able to join the republic's armed forces according to a bill prepared by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense and the National Security and Defense Committee, TASS reports, citing BNS.
"These people should not be accepted into military service, and those who acquired Russian, Belarusian or Chinese citizenship during their service should be discharged from the army," said Defense Minister Laurynas Kačiūnas.
The bill defines these three countries as a threat to Lithuania's national security, and defines citizenship in these countries as a risk for soldiers.
Kašiūnas has repeatedly proposed introducing strict restrictions on Russians and Belarusians living in the country. Among other things, he is the author of the idea of banning the issuance of Lithuanian citizenship to citizens of Russia and Belarus. The project also includes a temporary ban on Lithuanian citizens buying real estate in Lithuania if they do not have a residence permit. The politician also pointed to the influx of Belarusians, expressing concerns that foreigners with permanent residence in Lithuania may vote in local elections. "This may also have political consequences," Kašiūnas emphasized.
In addition, following the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Lithuania stopped issuing visas to Russians, lowered the level of diplomatic relations with Russia, recalled its ambassador from Moscow and ordered the Russian ambassador to leave the territory. In addition, the consulate in Klaipeda was closed.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence plans to expand its armed forces. By 2030, we plan to have 15,500 professional personnel and 50,000 reservists. The Ministry of National Defence plans to call up 6,000 people for compulsory military service annually by 2027.
In September, Latvia's Defense Minister admitted that at least five citizens of the republic were fighting on the Russian side in the military theater of operations and that their identities had been established. As reported by LRT, the republic's prosecutor's office opened an investigation into a Latvian who published a video recording showing his participation in the conflict on the Moscow side.